The Olympics is full of Heroes and Villains – Part 2

It may seem harsh to have talked about villains when you consider what is involved in simply making it to the Olympics, but no-one can dispute that there are many heroes at the games.

It would be easy to single out the medal winners alone, and there have been plenty of worthy performances, however it makes more sense to highlight some of those that achieved more than just a podium place.

While Petra Majdic isn’t exactly a household name, and the fact she did get a Bronze for her efforts goes against my previous comments, I can’t think of anyone more deserving to start with. This Slovenian cross-country skier took a pretty nasty spill prior to her race, falling almost 10 feet onto some rocks – but despite obvious pain she went ahead and competed. After the race, she finally discovered just how bad her injuries were, broken ribs and a collapsed lung! Anyone who has broken a rib can attest to the pain, and in a sprint race you can imagine how a collapsed lung might impact performance. To even compete was heroic, and to come away with a medal was simply amazing! She even had to be helped on to the podium just to receive her medal.

Physical pain is obviously difficult to overcome, but I can’t imagine the pain Joannie Rochette is feeling, having to deal with the unexpected death of her mother yesterday morning. Rochette has vowed to compete in memory of her mother, and while just performing is enough, I hope that her performance lives up to her expectations. One can only remember the despair of Dan Jansen, attempting to win a medal just hours after the death of his sister. Ironically that occurred at the Calgary Olympics.

I don’t want to play the patriotism card here, but you really have to be in Canada to realise just how much pressure is being placed on our athletes. While some have stepped up and reveled in the limelight (Jon Montgomery was made for this!), many more have bowed to the intense pressure and have not performed to their own very high standards. Manny Osborn-Paradis was being touted as the man who would bring Canada our first gold on home soil, skiing on his home mountain. The Hamelin brothers were expected to both be on the podium, and our team in general was being touted as having a chance to lead the medal table. Things have not gone to plan for our athletes, but to see Melissa Hollingsworth tearfully announce that she had “let her country down” was heart-breaking. All these athletes are heroes, and to see the way they have brought us together as a country is wonderful. None of them have let us down.

Update: Joannie Rochette skated last night, and scored a personal best in memory of her Mother. Truly inspiring under unimaginable pressure, and one of the greatest Olympic performances ever. She is currently in 3rd place ahead of the free skate.